1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to teaching aids, and more particularly to visual aids which by virtue of their structure and coatings simulate the appearance of perfectly black physical bodies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The existence of what is now called as "black holes in space" has been recently discovered. Both concurrent and prior to this discovery the phenomena entailed in describing the black hole involved complex physical principles and thus render visualization thereof difficult to a lay person. Thus the explanation of the general aspects of a perfectly black receptical like the black hole is rendered quite difficult particularly when the explanation is directed to people not schooled in the many disciplines necessary to understand same. As in many other instances difficult subjects may be taught by visual examples without the necessary recourse to the specific physical concepts involved. Thus the person observing the example may be exposed to the existence of the phenomenon without necessarily comprehending all of the detail physics thereof. It is this technique that is most frequently used at the basic educational levels with some success.
Visual examples of perfect black bodies have heretofore been difficult to produce. One particular problem area is the necessity for a large reflective contrast between the black body image and the surrounding background since under all circumstances the characteristics of a pure black receptacle are impossible to produce. Additionally, the changes im ambient light surrounding the visual aid also effect the image contrast with the result that the present-day teaching aids lack the necessary fidelity to effectively present the phenomenon of a pure black receptacle.